The Sunda Volcano & The Ancient Bandung Lake, Circa 2026

Jono Sugiartono  

Jono Sugiartono (b. 1968, Ciamis, West Java, Indonesia) is an Indonesian contemporary artist whose practice explores the relationship between matter, memory, nature and human civilization.

Trained at the Bandung Fine Arts Teachers' College, Sugiartono has developed his artistic language over several decades. His works combine painting with an extensive exploration of material and texture, bringing together oil, acrylic and mixed media, while selected works incorporate elements such as volcanic stone, crushed seashells, glass and natural organic materials.

Layer after layer, his compositions develop surfaces that appear almost geological. Cracks, traces, mineral textures, flowing lines and accumulated pigments become visual records of time and transformation. Rather than treating texture as decoration, Sugiartono uses matter as an essential part of the narrative of the work.

His practice is deeply connected to the cultural heritage of West Java and to the Sundanese philosophy of Silih Asah, Silih Asih, Silih Asuh — principles centered on mutual learning, care and nurturing. These ideas inform his recurring exploration of resilience, continuity and the transmission of memory across generations.

Another important reference within his visual vocabulary is Batik Mega Mendung, the historic cloud motif associated with Cirebon. Reinterpreted through a contemporary abstract language, flowing and interconnected forms evoke networks, landscapes, geological formations and traces of civilization.

Sugiartono founded Galeri Nusantara Jakarta (1995–2015) and has participated in artistic projects and exhibitions in Indonesia and internationally. His career also includes large-scale mural projects, and he was selected as a Top 10 Finalist of UOB Painting of the Year 2023.

Today, his work brings Indonesian cultural memory into dialogue with contemporary abstraction, creating unique physical artworks in which material, gesture and time become inseparable.

Jono Sugiartono is represented internationally by Abstract Art Gallery, Riga.